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Barrier Drill/Ram
Barrier Drill/Ram - Due to the increasing occurrence of arcane shields and dimensional fortifications in service on the battlefield and for key defensive positions, the need has arisen for devices capable of penetrating such defenses without expending unnecessary resources. The Barrier Drill and Barrier Ram were designed to create temporary or permanent openings through-which troops and/or munitions can travel through. The Barrier Drill is the slow, working through attrition rather than force like the Barrier Ram. Both devices – if given enough time and/or power – can breech even the strongest dimensional, and/or energy-based barriers. The Barrier Drill and Ram have various methods of employment and construction including – but not limited to - mobile ground and air units, artillery launched projectiles, and even through the use of small automated constructs. One of the primary methods of employing the Barrier Drill against large/medium sized dome-type arcane shields is through the use of an A/KC propelled, form-fitting, AXIS-integrated construct which – while in core form — can be launched from artillery or dropped from airships at high velocities; this unit can also deploy itself from ground in a pre-materialized form using a GN/I drive and associated kinetic propulsion units. If deployed from artillery, airship, or other delivery systems in core form the unit will materialize at a pre-designated point; providing enough time to fully materialize, energize, and perform start-up checks. Once the Barrier Drill (or in some cases – Barrier Ram) has been deployed it will adhere to the associated energy barrier directly, or provide a buffer zone for use against aggressively-reactive barriers (this buffer will be as small as possible to minimize energy-loss). Once adhered, a unit will activate all primary drives beginning barrier penetration. The type of drive(s) equipped by a Barrier Drill/Ram is determined by the type, location, and strength of the barrier as well as the method of unit employment (ranged/direct). Nullification-type drives are used primarily against energy-based barriers and are extremely effective against kinetic and arcane/mana types. Two primary types of nullification drives are used most-often with drill/ram units; the first and most common type is an all-purpose drive which utilizes arcane-based nullification which is equally effective against all energy types (effectiveness is determined by ram/drill energy), the second type is energy-specific prismatic nullification which uses a specific energy type to create a negative ‘draining effect, essentially leeching energy from a specific part of the barrier-this type of drive is significantly more effective against barriers using energy(s) of the associated drive, and often useless against barriers of another kind; thus care should be taken when selecting the drives for a Drill/Ram. An essential part of the direct-effect Ram/Barrier is the employment of a Barrier Spike which applies continuous physical pressure to the outside of non-reactive barriers or is connected to an energy-meter against aggressively reactive barriers; this spike is supplied with a continuous, concentrated amount of fortifying energy through its' core and emits nullifying energy over its' exterior – this allows the spike to penetrate the barrier once weak enough – preventing it from closing and aiding infurther penetration, Once activated, the Barrier Spike will then divide into (20) individual, identical segments which then expand outward (the power used by the Ram/Drill used for nullification is now diverted to the spike) creating an opening the radius of-which is determined by the size of the unit. In some cases the entire Drill/Ram unit will act as the Barrier Spike-breeching the barrier with a portion of its body (usually V.) which then divides into a specific number of segments; these segments are capable of expanding continuously. This type of unit can create extremely large openings as its radius is determined by maximum sustained power output. These units often require a higher degree of barrier nullification than cohesive units to account for unit size though once inserted are far more difficult to reject or remove by opposing forces. The ability for a Barrier Drill/Ram to use a Barrier Spike is one of the primary advantages over ranged units which use beam and/or blast type attacks which may be intercepted by opposing forces and generally require a larger energy output. However, ranged units can more easily be supplied with a large, uninterrupted source of power which can drastically decrease the time and/or over-all energy required to penetrate a barrier. Ranged units are often larger than direct units though can be made in compact, mobile forms for use against weak barriers or in a group against larger ones, The two primary attack-types for ranged units are beam – which, as suggested, creates a beam of energy to attack a barrier- and blast – which, as suggested, delivers powerful blasts of energy against a barrier. Beam type attacks are used primarily for Drill units and blast types for Ram units respectively, these two types can, however, be merged by a unit to deliver a continuous beam of energy with blasts of energy at regular intervals — this is the most effective, and most energy-intensive type of attack. Unlike direct units a ranged unit must continuously attack a barrier (or long enough for a Barrier Ring to be inserted) in order to maintain an opening where-as direct units are equipped with or act as a Barrier Ring in-and-of themselves. If attempting to destabilize a large barrier, attacks by multiple ranged units using a hybrid beam/blast attack type is most efficient; the type of drive can – like the direct unit – be either arcane-based or prismatic/energy-specific. Barriers with low-yield but rapid energy regeneration should be the target of the Barrier Ram to cause sudden, un-repairable deterioration — likewise – barriers with high yield and low regeneration should be the target of Barrier Drills which prevent a barrier from regenerating and gradually deteriorate existing energy. Both units are equally viable against barriers with equal yield and regeneration and should be selected based on situational factors such as time, energy reserves, etc. Nullification is not the only method by-which a Drill/Ram can degrade a shield although it is the most common; other methods include Fabrication by-which a unit may be capable of feeding the barrier so much energy as to overload it, Alteration by-which a unit attempts to alter the barrier's energy either to create a hole or to destabilize it, and Destruction by-which a unit focuses all energy on destroying the barrier's own energy (this method – while viable and extremely effective – can produce large amounts of arcane flux and may incur unforeseen consequences.) Both the Barrier Drill and Ram can be employed against native or foreign dimensional barriers, if being employed against foreign barriers or native barriers at a distance the use of cross-dimensional drives will be required in-addition to higher energy-output. These units can be integrated into gates/portals.